And Europe’s Getting Bigger…

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In a draft accord released early on Friday, the EU endorsed a recommendation by its executive arm, the Euroepan Commission, that the 10 candidate countries “fulfill the political criteria and will be able to fulfill the economic criteria and to assume the obligations of (EU) membership from the beginning of 2004”.

The 10 candidates — Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia — are expected to be formally invited to join the 15-nation bloc at a December EU summit in Copenhagen and sign accession treaties in Greece in April. (more)